A while ago there was the teen who invited a girl to a prom by posting a banner on the school building. It was considered defacing public property and raised a safety issue, so the kid was initially told he couldn’t go to the prom because of his actions. Fortunately, there was a community uproar and common sense kicked-in. The school rescinded the decision and allowed him to attend the prom.

Yes, I understand there was a safety issue with the kid climbing the building to place the banner. The school didn’t want to promote such behavior or be liable, but there’s got to be other ways to teach young people and raise their awareness other than punitive action. (I would have liked to have seen the school have the maintenance crew place another banner explaining the safety issues, along with a congratulatory quip about the prom date accepting the invitation.)

I read about a group of students who were suspended for Tebowing in the halls, citing safety issues because they were impeding movement in the hall. I’m pretty sure if there was a fire, the Tebowers would have stopped. (Hmm. Maybe the teachers could have decided to have “Teacher Tebow Day” and every time the educators had to deal with a student issue, they could Tebow in response or maybe a mandatory Te-Bow before lunch for everyone. — Kind of takes the wind out of the teenaged sails. Why should the kids have all the fun?)

Then there’s the irate parents, all in a tizzy because of their teens’ self-expressive outrageous appearance and attire — bizarre clothing and jewelry, green-spiked hair, tattoos and piercings, and the like. Instead of fighting with your kid about their choices, spike your hair, apply some henna tattoos and put on a couple of fake piercings and offer to take your kid to the mall or out for a bite to eat in your get-up. (I’ve not yet seen a teen be willing to accompany their parent when they’ve looked like this. Just the thought of your parent even considering doing such a thing seems to evoke embarrassment horror. — Gee – I wonder why? Ha!)

I think the adults could actually have a little fun as they attempt to teach, help socialize and raise the awareness of young people. Reserve the severe punitive actions for aggressive and violent behavior.

I find myself coming to the defense of Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry.

Recently, the media reported that Bachmann was stunned during a book-signing when a little child, at the urging of his mother, told Bachmann that his mom ‘wasn’t broken and didn’t need to be fixed.’ The tone of the article implied Bachmann’s stunned-ness was somehow a flaw or gaffe. — Okay, I understand the gay agenda and the point of the interaction, but I’d be stunned, too, if I was Bachmann. (I can imagine my thoughts in such a situation: “Oh, no, you didn’t! Please don’t tell me you just put this sweet little tyke up to this situation to further an agenda and make a point. You didn’t just use this little kid!” – Yeah, I’d be taken aback for a moment, too. I felt badly for the lil’ guy when I watched the clip.)

And, Rick Perry’s supposed “gaffe” when talking about his views on Obama and the appointment of activist judges: he had a moment when he was trying to mentally retrieve Judge Sonia Sotomayor’s name. I’m not so sure this was a “gaffe” as the media portrays it — more like one of those mental “name” things that happen to all of us from time to time, and it wasn’t necessarily a slight to Judge Sotomayor. (I’m thankful for the pneumonic “I’m-a-dinner-jacket”…)

The media “spin” on some things just amazes me…and what amazes me even more, is that people will jump on the bandwagon to align themselves with such spin without taking a moment to t-h-i-n-k about the interpretation they are being fed.

Human reaction in an awkward moment isn’t always a “bad” thing – it’s human. Like Freud said, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” …. and nothing more.

Here I go on one of my vent rants about how backwards, screwy, cock-eyed and inane the world has become as priorities of greed and profit rule over quality of service and product, the consumer, long-range looking and consequences, and plain ol’ common sense.

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. And, I will be the first one to endorse that it really has….when it works….

So, my internet and tv went out with my cable provider (Time-Warner). Okay — things happen. No biggie. But, before I call the provider, I check with my neighbor who also uses the same service, and sure enough, his is out, too. I checked because I thought that might be helpful information so the cable company knows it’s not just my service.

After I get done yelling at the automated attendant for what feels like an eternity because it doesn’t offer the problem to select and I’m caught in the automated loop, I finally get a live person, explain the situation, and she’ll gladly make an appointment for a service call to see what the problem is AT MY HOUSE. Now, she understands that it’s not just my house, but “the system” doesn’t let her alert/flag/memo that it’s not just my house. They just wait and see when other people call in — which eventually would alert them. (In my particular case, that would likely be later this evening as most of my neighbors work away from home during the day and wouldn’t even know they have an outage ’til then. I happen to be working at home today. — BTW, the neighbor I called was at work at the time but he was able to verify the outage at his home – his wife’s internet phone didn’t work.)

So, after I complete my service outage report call, I again call my neighbor at work, asking if he would call Time-Warner to report the outage, too. I’m pretty sure his employer wouldn’t be delighted to know he’s using company time to assist Time-Warner with their problem.

Now, here’s my next concern : Time-Warner doesn’t have the technical ability to let their customer service people alert/flag/memo for a possible area outage, but they have the technical ability to access all my information to have the lady try to sell me additional services with them while I’m on the service report call. — Like I might really want to consider buying additional phone services with them, while I’m calling about how their other services I have aren’t working and they can’t do anything about that until other people call it in to report it?????!!! Yeah, okay. Like I might want to do that then. (It’s not the customer service agent’s fault. She’s just doing her job. Told to try to sell-sell-sell…..)

And here we go with my next concern, two seconds after I finish the customer service call, Automated Annie calls me to “survey on your customer service experience.”

So, if Time-Warner — and it’s not just Time-Warner, but the whole darn bunch of them these days it seems – can figure out how to program and use technology to know what products/services to pitch to me when I call in, can have Automated Annie call me the second I hang up, I would venture to think that they could probably figure out a way to allow “flags” and “memos” and “alerts” when an individual calls in and let’s them know service interruption is beyond an individual place without having to wait for other consumers to call it in.

Doesn’t appear to be a priority however…..

Just saying……..

P.S. …. and just to top it off, this morning I was scheduled to set up some critical electronic data transfer systems…. okidoki then…… looks like that ain’t happening….. and what part of my life has gotten easier today thanks to technology, pray tell?! I’m having a little difficulty ascertaining that at the moment….

P.P.S. … Update : per my neighbor who just called, Time-Warner is telling him “It looks like it’s a problem on your street and the earliest service appointment they have is Sunday.” … (Today is Thursday…..Go figure…..Can I pay my bill a few days out, too???!)

P.P.P.S. … Update : the good news is they fixed the problem by Friday. The screwy news is the service tech still showed up on Sunday to fix the problem because nobody told him/the system didn’t alert him, that the problem had been fixed two days ago…..but that good ol’ system sure knows how to try to make a sale!!

Px4.S … cost of waiting for the cable guy

If “churches” and “neighbors” and “charities” could do this in these strapped economic times, they would already be doing this and there would be no “waiting list” for people needing this help. (And I suspect most of the folks on the list are struggling, the poor and/or the elderly.)

Then I read that the very same community approves taking federal monies for the building of a sports complex as it would aid the “economic development” of the community.

So….it’s okay to take federal monies to help build “business”, but it’s not okay to take the funds to help heat the homes of the “poor people” in the community?

Why not really make the point : don’t take the federal monies to help build the sports complex, either. (Aren’t there enough “churches” and “neighbors” and “charities” – and “other businesses”–that would benefit that could develop this project?)

Hmm. Maybe the cold poor people can camp in the shiny new sports complex….

It ain’t right.

Link to OccupyCharlotte

I don’t use debit cards, only because I don’t want to have to remember another pin number or worry about another thing to misplace.

It doesn’t surprise me that banks charge a fee for usage. It’s the old create-a-convenience, lull the masses and commerce into dependence, then charge them for the convenience.

My bank has been dogging me for years to use a debit card. Everytime I went up to the drive-in window to withdraw some cash, they nearly begged me to get one. The bank even implemented the “show two forms of i.d policy” — unless you showed them their debit card, then you wouldn’t have to show two forms of i.d.

Mr. Frum might think that banks don’t like them (see the link below), but I think banks planned this move a long time ago…

Nobody is “required” to use a debit card….at least not yet…but I see that coming…and they’ll be additional charges…

The stash under the mattress idea is starting to look good again……

link to Frum Forum

A good talk on vulnerability : ">Brene Brown

Go Gus !!!

Ferocious Feline